Everyday Life in Ireland

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"Tails!" A shout rouse Clodagh from her slumber, causing her to look around wildly. Had she fallen asleep before Darren came back? She looked around but couldn't see him. "Hagafraga." A strange noise came from behind Clodagh. With difficulty, she turned around in her seat, to look over the back of the arm chair. She saw Darren asleep in a chair in front of some sort of bouncing ball.

Clodagh found it strange, and tried to whisper his name so he would awake. "Darren, Darren, wake up." She didn't want to shout because it would be rude seeing as he just let her into his house. She looked down at her bandaged tail, wondering if she would be able to get over to him by standing on it. She turned back around and placed her tail gently on the ground. She winced a little bit she thought she could power through the pain. She stood up completely on her tail. She was wrong.

"Ahh." She let out a small cry and fell back down onto the chair. She was angry at herself for being unable to move. However, as she fumbled around in the chair, she noticed that the chair she was in moved. Looking down at the base of the chair she saw it had little wheels on it. This gave her new hope. She placed her tail on the ground once more, and pushed off it, wincing at the pain. She was now closer to Darren. She reached out with her hand but couldn't quite grasp him or the chair he was sitting on.

She decided to push herself again once more, hoping that with this push she would be close enough to wake him up. Well, she was half right. She put her tail over the arm of the chair, and pushed off the ground, powering through the pain. The armchair whacked into Darren's chair, knocking it over and throwing him off the chair. "Gaah!" was the only sound he made before he hit the floor.

"That hurt." He said, rubbing his face. He stood up and turned around, seeing his chair on the ground, and an armchair next to his knocked over chair, and a Selkie hiding behind the arm of the chair. "Were you trying to wake me?" He asked. Clodagh buried her head in the arm chair and nodded embarrassingly. Darren put his hand on Clodagh's head. "Well that's ok, it was an accident." He smiled at Clodagh, who looked up when his hand touched her head.

Suddenly, Clodagh was laughing loudly. "W-what? What is it?" Darren said, touching his face with his hands. Looking around for a mirror he went back to the fireplace, which he had put out the previous night. The mirror above the fireplace was enough for Darren to see what Clodagh was laughing at. On his face were small squares with imprints of reversed letters on them. "I must have fallen asleep on the keyboard." Darren began rubbing where the imprint was and turned back to Clodagh, who was staring intently at the screen.

"What's this?" She asked, poking at the screen, which now showed a large amount of words. Darren sighed, realising that he had been up extremely late, so late that he forgot to close out of what he was researching.

"It's the Cultural Exchange Between Species Act." Darren said, moving over to Clodagh and picking up the fallen chair. Sitting down on it he showed Clodagh what it said. "It says that any persons of an Extra-Species staying with a human for cultural reasons or other must be registered so that there may be a record of how many Extra-Species there are within the Country." Darren rubbed his eyes. "Or at least that's what it basically says."

Clodagh thought this through. "So I need to be registered?" She said, in a slightly disappointed tone. Darren noticed this and hugged her, causing her to gasp.

"Don't worry about it ok, it's easy to do and won't take too long. I just need a person to come over so they can inspect you and take down your details." Darren took out his phone. "I found a number of a person who does this sort of stuff. Since the act was enabled lots of companies started up to help registering be over quickly." He went through his messages. "I asked when was the soonest they could come over."

Clodagh looked up at Darren. "When did they say?" A sudden doorbell was the answer to her question. Darren smiled and looked down at his phone, his smile turned into a small frown.

"Weird, they were supposed to be here earlier." He got up from his seat and headed to the door. Opening it he found two people standing there, one of them he didn't recognise, the other however he knew quite well. "Oh hey Sean how are you doing."

Sean was the local postman, and about the only person in the country who could go anywhere without getting lost. "Ah I'm doing fine Darren, how's yourself." He opened his bag to grab some letters that were meant for Darren.

"Ah I'm doing grand, got a bit of a situation though, and I'm hoping that's what you're here for?" He said, looking at the man standing next to Sean.

"Yes, I'm a co-ordinator for Extra-Species living with humans, my name is Joseph." He said sticking out his hand. Darren took it, looking Joseph up and down. He wore a suit that looked a tad too big for him. He had a wiry frame and wore thin glasses to match. Darren shook his hand strongly.

"Oh you've got one of those Extra's living with you?" Sean said, taking out some letters that were most likely bills. Darren nodded. "What kind is she?" Darren was about to answer but he figured it would be better to show him.

"Clodagh, do you mind having guests?" He called back to where Clodagh was, currently sitting in her armchair, debating whether or not to say.

"I-I don't mind." She replied. She was extremely nervous meeting new people. The only reason she took a shining towards Darren was because of the hug they shared.

Darren nodded for the two men to follow him. Darren stopped in the room that he had dubbed the 'living room' simply because it used to be the reception in the bed and breakfast, but now that the building was just a house, he didn't really know what else to call it. Clodagh was hugging her hoody out of nervousness. When the two other men came in she relaxed slightly. The one wearing a suit looked too weak to be a threat, and the other one had a great grey beard and a friendly looking face.

"Well how are ya doing lass, I trust this fella's taking care of you alright?" Clodagh giggled and nodded. She found his accent funny. "Ah good to know, can't have this ol bugger be treating a lady wrong now." He gave Darren a light punch. Who smiled but when Sean turned back to Clodagh he made an "OW" with his lips.

Joseph coughed a little and introduced himself "Hello Clodagh, my name is Joseph, I'll be the person to call if there's ever any trouble, and I'll be the one to help you live comfortably." He reached out his hand to Clodagh, who shook it gently. Joseph's eyes fell on her bandaged tail. "May I ask how that happened?"

"Oh, well, I was swimming around the Causeway a Sharkgirl attacked me. I managed to outswim her because when she got my fur she went away." Clodagh let out a small sniffle. Before Joseph could say anything Sean cut across.

"Causeway? As in the Giants Causeway?" Clodagh nodded. "Mary, Mother and Joseph that's ages away." Joseph made a strange face as if Sean was talking about him. "You must be a fair swimmer to be able get here." This made Clodagh smile and stop sniffling.

"And it was you who bandaged her?" Joseph turned around to talk to Darren, but he wasn't there. "W-where'd he go?" Joseph looked around wildly. A small clink announced his presence.

Darren was carrying a tray with four cups of tea on it. "Oh sorry, just thought you might want a drink." Darren set the tray down and handed a cup to Joseph. "I'm sure coming out here so early must have taken its toll." Joseph murmured a 'suppose it did' and took the cup. "Here you are Sean, and here's yours Clodagh." Clodagh and Sean accepted theirs graciously. They both took a sip and let out a sigh.

"And yes, I was the one who bandaged her up." Darren said, taking his own mug, responding to Joseph's earlier question. Joseph nodded in acknowledgement and took out a small clipboard.

"Alright, so you helped her out because she was hurt, and I take it that is your clothing?" He asked, pointing a pen at the hoody Clodagh was wearing. Darren nodded embarrassingly. "I'm assuming it was to keep her warm?" Darren nodded his head violently. "Mhm." Joseph said, giving Darren a way out, since he knew that a Selkie's fur is what keeps them modest. "Now, Ms. Clodagh, would you mind answering a few questions.

"Not at all Mr. Joseph." She replied, copying Joseph's phrasing. Joseph chuckled a little and turned a page in his clipboard and coughed.

"Now, full name?"

"Clodagh O'Floinn."

"Gender or Preferred Gender?"

"Girl?"

"Age?"

"Nineteen." Sean gave Darren a sly elbow to which he responded with a curse.

"Date of birth?"

"Um, the 19th of September." This made Darren look down at his watch to check the month. They were in November now, which meant he didn't feel bad about missing her birthday if it was two months ago.

"Species?"

"Selkie."

"Huh, I think me Grandda met one of those before." Sean said to himself before taking another sip of his tea.

"Relation to the host?"

"Um, houseguest?"

"Reason or reasons for being here?"

"Um, healing, and exploration of culture?" She phrased the last bit a tad awkwardly, as if thinking that she wouldn't be allowed if she didn't say that.

"Any known illness or allergies?"

"Um, I think I got a cold when I was eleven."

"Sexual Orientation?" This question caused both Sean and Darren to spit out their drinks.

"Um, I like boys?"

Joseph finished writing and ticking boxes with a click of his pen. "Thank you very much Ms. O'Floinn, you should expect your certification in the mail within the month." He stood up and thank Darren for the tea.

"He must be American." Sean whispered to Darren, who nodded, and got up to see Joseph to the door.

"Thank you for your hospitality." He said standing outside the door. "But I must make a request." Darren, confused as to what this could be, nodded to accept. "Should any more Inter-Species persons come into your house, please do not call me at four in the morning." Darren didn't realise how late it had been when he called and replied.

"Of course, I'm so sorry for calling you that late." He was tempted to bow in apology, but he decided it would just seem strange.

"It's not a problem. My body clock is still adjusting to this time zone." Joseph yawned. This made Darren think Sean was right. "Also, a warning I must remind you of." Darren was confused again. "I'm assuming that you have read up on the Cultural Exchange Between Species Act?" Darren nodded. "Then you know it means that you may not harm anyone of Extra-Species, or allow yourself to come to harm?"

Darren nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, I would never lay a hand on a girl." Joseph smiled somewhat sinisterly.

"Hurting them, can mean a lot of things you know?" This caused Darren to gulp.

"D-Don't worry, that won't be happening either." Although now that Darren thought about, Clodagh was an extremely attractive-NOPE BAD THOUGHT BAD THOUGHTS. Darren shook his head and took a breath. "I promise I shall not be doing anything illegal."

Joseph placed a hand on Darren's shoulder and said "I'm sure." And even though Darren could tell he had a weak body, he suddenly felt as if he was twenty times stronger than himself.

Joseph got into a black government looking car. He waved at Darren as he drove away. Darren waved back, and went back inside his house. He relaxed instantly, knowing that the agent was now away. He went back into the living room and found Sean and Clodagh having a chat.

"And so, I was just gone round this corner when 'zoom' and great ol' truck goes flying by." Clodagh looked at Sean wide eyed in curiosity. This caused Darren to laugh.

"You're not really telling her the truck story are you?" Darren had heard this story many times, and it seems to change each time

"Ah but sure why not, it's a classic." Sean said putting his hand on his knee. "And I feel she needs a bit of calm after going through that line o' questioning." Darren shook his head.

"As great as your truck story is, it's also very long." He put emphasis on the word long. This caused Sean to look down at his watch and make his eyes go wide.

"Christ was I talking for that long?" He gulped down his tea and gave the letters to Darren. "Pleasure meeting ya lass." He raised his Postman's hat at her, which caused her to giggle and wave at him. "Well then, I'll be off." He dashed out the door leaving a trail of dust in his wake." Clodagh stared at his cup.

"I thought you said people couldn't drink tea quickly?" She said, looking at the emptiness of Sean's mug. Darren chuckled.

"Well, Sean might not be an extra-species, but he's definitely not human."

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